Lakes Businesses Owe License Fees

LAUDERDALE LAKES — Fifteen businesses located in the city have not paid occupational license fees for more than a year.

However, in the latest round of "business friendliness," city officials are pondering if it is best to enforce the rules and force collection, or grant reprieves.

At a Sept. 7 workshop meeting, commissioners asked City Attorney James Brady to draft a resolution giving commissioners the opportunity to vote on how to proceed.

How the city proceeds will make a difference in the amount of revenue outstanding. The 15 businesses, including a cafe, a travel service, a nail salon, an insurance firm and a furniture store, owe $6,607 including a 25 percent late fee and $250 fine levied on each business. The total for the delinquent businesses was originally $2,285.

"This is a very sensitive issue," said city Finance Director Bruce Abrahams. "We want to encourage businesses but we are talking about enforcing a law."

Abrahams added that City Manager Stanley Hawthorne thought it best to have commissioners revisit the issue since it affected small businesses.

"There were several options discussed [at the workshop]. We are not in business to close down businesses," Abrahams said.

Although the original bills were mailed to proprietors in August 1998, only two of the 15 wrote to the city to express hardship. One was Bessie Watford, who owns Midnite Nails Plus and the Academy of Nail Technology, both on West Oakland Park Boulevard. Watford did not write in until April to address her initial bills of $100 and $170. The amount for both has now climbed to $837.

"The city should look at the records and see which businesses are not just ignoring the fees but have genuine problems. If they see where a person is sincerely trying they should help," Watford said.

Watford said her businesses are small and are experiencing growth problems that affect similar small operations. Her nail salon opened three years ago and the school, which offers classes in nail technology, opened a year later.

"If we can determine hardship, I can see us giving some consideration for those who asked us," Commissioner Hazelle Rogers said. "Those who simply ignored the bills should be advised of the next step."

Abrahams said the resolution regarding the fees would likely not be discussed until Sept. 28.

Dwayne Campbell can be reached at dcampbell@sun-sentinel.com or 954-572-2004.